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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are at a crossroads when it comes to their quarterback situation. Legendary signal-caller Tom Brady brought a Super Bowl to Tampa Bay but officially announced his retirement on Tuesday, leaving the team with the likes of Blaine Gabbert and Kyle Trask as the remaining quarterback options behind the future Hall of Famer. With a championship pedigree in the building and the potential to retain some big-name free agents, the Buccaneers could put themselves in a position to contend in life without Brady. But they need a quarterback. Could the Buccaneers make another veteran splash and attempt to acquire Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson? It's not completely out of the question, though there might be another option out there that makes sense for the Buccaneers. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The Buccaneers should trade for Garoppolo, whose time looks like it's coming to an end in San Francisco.
Garoppolo is no Brady, but he was once pegged by perhaps the greatest coach of all-time to be Brady's replacement and he has proven to be a winner in his brief experiences in the postseason. It's risky, but here are three reasons why the Buccaneers should trade for Jimmy Garoppolo to replace Tom Brady.
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3. Garoppolo wants to play for a winner
49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo came right out and said it. If he's traded, he wants to play for a team that can compete. What better team than the Buccaneers, who are just a year removed from winning the Super Bowl, and who came oh-so-close to advancing to the NFC Championship game for a second consecutive year. If Tampa Bay can retain some key players on both sides of the ball, such as Chris Godwin and Carlton Davis, then they could have a great chance of being right back in the mix for a Super Bowl, provided they have a quarterback. The Buccaneers could be a nice destination for Garoppolo.
2. Garoppolo has proven he can take a team to the big game
Look, Jimmy Garoppolo has had his poor moments in big situations. Look no further than the 2019 Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, or the recent defeat in the title game at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams. Both times, the 49ers had a lead and both times, they blew it. Garoppolo was still good enough to get his team to the big game. He was still good enough to lead his team to the NFC title game for the second time as a starter for the 49ers. He might not be the flashiest quarterback or have the best statistics, but Garoppolo has a winning playoff record at 4-2. If the Buccaneers are looking for a successor to Tom Brady's winning ways, they could do a whole lot worse than Garoppolo, who was once tabbed by Bill Belichick as the potential successor to Brady.
3. Garoppolo deserves another chance to prove himself when healthy
Jimmy Garoppolo came out and admitted that he was playing through an immense amount of pain this season. The pain he felt with his thumb injury was bad enough that the 49ers signal-caller said he felt it on “every play.” Everyone in the NFL likely plays through some level of pain. However, does that sound like a fair chance that Garoppolo had? He deserves an opportunity to prove that his 2019 year, where he threw for nearly 4,000 yards, 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions while leading the 49ers within a couple of plays of a Super Bowl title, was no fluke. What better destination than the Buccaneers? They have a Super Bowl-winning head coach in Bruce Arians, an elite wideout in Mike Evans, and a defense with championship experience. Garoppolo isn't the most attractive name, but he might just be the right option to replace Brady in Tampa Bay.
